THE FATHER'S
IMAGE
MF Blume
Father's
Day, June 21, 1998 am
2Cor 3:18 But we all, with open
face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2Cor 4:4-6 In whom the god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto
them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves
your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out
of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Colo 1:12-15 Giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption
through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Everytime we read about the light of the Gospel, we read about the image
of God.
- Paul spoke of the saints
in light.
- Then about the Lord being
in the image of God.
He spoke about receiving the
light of the knowledge of God's glory.
- And also about being changed
into God's image.
We know what LIGHT refers to
in the Bible.
- SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE.
- This changes us.
- This is not the kind of
knowledge that goes into the brain, but rather that which goes into the spirit.
- It is spiritual knowledge,
so it affects our spirits.
To be made into God's image is
not to look like God, because no one can see God.
- But it is to mirror God.
- We do what God does.
- Jesus died, and we die
with Him (Ro. 6:6).
- Jesus was buried and we
are buried with Him (Ro. 6:4).
- Jesus rersirrected and
we resurrect with Him (Ro. 6:4).
- We mirror what He did.
- Jesus walked in newness
of life in resurrection, and so do we.
Roma 6:8-12 Now if we be dead with
Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being
raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth
unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign
in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
God can change us so much into
the image of Jesus, that we do not allow sin to rule in our lives.
- As He did not allow it.
- It is not by practice or
training, but by receiving this light.
- How do we become changed
into His image?
- By seeing the glory of
God shine into our hearts.
Notice what Jesus said about
fathers.
John 8:38 I speak that which I
have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Children watch their fathers
and repeat what they see their fathers do.
- If you men, as fathers,
do not praise God, your children will not praise God.
- If you do not worship and
pray, neither will your children.
- Do not leave this up to
your wife, their mother, to deal with.
- YOU ARE THE FATHER.
- YOU ARE THE ONE THEY WATCH
AND MIMIC.
- Too many fathers are leaving
the task of raising their children up for God to their wives.
The Pharisees tried to kill Jesus,
and if Abraham were realy their father, they would not have done that.
- Abraham did not do that.
- But they were of their
father the devil.
- The devil was a murderer.
Watch a person's behaviour and
you wil know if they are children of God or of the Devil.
- I do not care how much they
attend a church.
- It matters how they
behave in life!
Paul said we can look to Jesus
and be changed into that same image from glory to glory.
- And Jesus is the IMAGE of
the FATHER.
- This means He did what
He saw His Father do.
- It spoke of His behaviour.
- He mirrored His Father.
- Paul said that SPIRITUAL
KNOWLEDGE renews the new man, the image of God that we have become by looking
at Jesus.
Colo 3:10 And have put on the new
[man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
2Cor 4:6
For God,
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts,
to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.
KNOWLEDGE is
REVELATION in these verses.
- Our hearts
are unvelield and we receive LIGHT of the spiritual KNOWLEDGE that changes
us.
Jesus rose from
the dead, and we rise WITH HIM.
- We are the
image as He is.
1Joh 2:6
He that
saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
So we must come
tro an understanding until we are no longer defeated by lying thoughts.
- We keep
the image intact and renewed by continuing to receive the food for God's
Image in us, SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE.
- It renews
us in God's image.
- Otherwise
the image will expire.
We pray, "Our
Father... give us this day our daily bread."
- This is
praying so that our image of God may be intact.
- We need
LIFE, or spiritual knowledge, from the FATHER, because we want to remain IN
HIS IMAGE.
- That BREAD
is the WORD.
- It is revelation
of TRUTH from the WORD.
Satan entered
the Garden and murdered Adam and Eve spiritually by luring them to the fruit
that God said would kill them if they eat it.
- Jesus said
the Pharisees sought to kill Him.
- That proved
they were of the devil.
- Anything
true is resisted by liars.
- Jesus told
them their father was also a liar and tha is why they could not believe Jesus.
- Jesus told
truth and children of liars cannot believe truth.
If we are children
of God then we simply live godly.
We are renewed
in that omage of God by receiving the LIGHT, BREAD, spiritual knowledge.
1Joh 1:7
But if
we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Joh 2:5
But whoso
keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know
we that we are in him.
2:5 is what 1:7 was illustrating!
- According to 2:5, the walking
in the light is keeping God's WORD.
- Paul said that LIGHT is
the knowledge of the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ.
To say the blood continually
cleans us is a poetic way of saying the power of God to open up our graves
of sin and resurrect us from veritable death, continues to empower us to
remain in God's image.
WE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH.
The only reason I can walk in
newness of life is by my faith that He died in my place by proxy.
- If I slip from that faith
and begin to rely upon my good efforts, then I am out of the light, and Jesus'
blood does no longer cleanse me.
- I in fact am seeking Something
other than Jesus' blood to cleanse me.
- Seeking Jesus' blood to
cleanse me is a way of saying I am relying on nothing but Jesus' death for
me in my place.
Let us LOOK AT OUR FATHER....
- Turn your hearts to Jesus,
who is the IMAGE OF THE FATHER.
- And when you look to Him,
you wil be changed into that same image.
- Did not Jesus say if we
have seen Him we have seen the Father? (John 14:9)
- And we will do the things
our Father does if we LOOK AT OUR FATHER.
- WE WILL BE IN HIS IMAGE.